Home Office

Refugees: Turkey

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of Médecins Sans Frontières’ refusal to take any funds from the EU in protest against the EU’s refugee policy, whether they will reconsider their support for the EU–Turkey refugee deal.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to the successful implementation of the EU/ Turkey migration deal. The numbers of migrants arriving on Greek islands has significantly reduced since this deal came into effect and it is making a genuine difference to managing the flows of migration; preventing people from dying in attempting the crossing or putting themselves in the hands of smugglers.We continue to deploy expert staff to the Greek islands to act as interpreters and help with the processing of migrants. These teams help ensure that vulnerable people, including children, are identified and can access asylum procedures as quickly as possible.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Free Movement of People

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many British citizens are resident in each European Union member state; how many from each of those states are resident in the UK; and in each case how many are of pensionable age.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There is no legal obligation on a British citizen living overseas to register with the British Embassy, but the UN estimated that in mid-2015 there were more than 1.2 million UK citizens living permanently elsewhere in the EU. These estimates do not include British citizens travelling or residing for part of the year in another Member State. * Population of UK citizens permanently resident in the European Union; UN estimate, mid-2015 Total (thousands)TOTAL UK IN EU1,216.0Austria11.0Belgium27.3Bulgaria5.3Croatia0.7Cyprus40.5Czech Republic4.8Denmark18.6Estonia0.5Finland6.9France185.3Germany103.4Greece17.7Hungary7.0Ireland254.8Italy65.0Latvia1.1Lithuania3.3Luxembourg6.6Malta12.0Netherlands49.5Poland34.5Portugal17.8Romania3.1Slovakia4.9Slovenia0.6Spain308.8Sweden25.0 Office for National Statistics data show that, between January and December 2014, there were approximately 2.9 million European Union member state nationals resident in the UK. * Population resident in the United Kingdom, excluding some residents in communal establishments, by nationality; ONS statistics August 2015 (2014 data) Total (thousands)TOTAL EU IN UK2,940Austria18Belgium17Bulgaria59Croatia4Cyprus17Czech Republic37Denmark26Estonia14Finland14France160Germany131Greece54Hungary85Italy170Latvia108Lithuania155Luxembourg0Malta8Netherlands82Poland853Portugal175Republic of Ireland331Romania175Slovakia79Slovenia5Spain131Sweden32  There are many different ways of defining and calculating migration data so different sources will not necessarily be comparable. No information is available on the numbers of UK and EU citizens in receipt of a UK State Pension broken down by nationality. This is because the UK State Pension is a contributory based pension, where nationality or citizenship do not form part of the eligibility criteria. There is no data available on the number of European Union member state nationals resident in the UK who are of pensionable age.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 6 June (HL320), what assessment they have made of the effects on Turkey’s candidate status for accession to the EU of the recent resolution of the German Parliament declaring the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915 and 1916 an act of genocide.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government recognises the horrific suffering inflicted on the Armenian people and other groups living in the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th Century. The Government’s policy is that the recognition of genocide is a matter for judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. The Government believes that the priority today should be to promote reconciliation between the peoples and Governments of Turkey and Armenia.

Turkey: Politics and Government

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 6 June (HL320), which elements of Turkish democracy they consider "modern"; and whether they consider any aspects not "modern".

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Turkey is a democracy with multi-party elections whose government has been democratically elected. Progress has been made on reforms in some areas in recent years, but, as the European Commission has highlighted, there has also been significant backsliding. As a friend and ally we strongly encourage Turkey to continue work towards the full protection of all civil liberties – and will continue to do so.

Council of Europe

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend the UK to continue to be a member of the Council of Europe and party to the European Convention on Human Rights.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK continues to be an active member of the Council of Europe and party to the European Convention on Human Rights. I also refer the noble Lord to the answer given by the the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Esher and Walton (Mr Raab) in the House of Commons on 14 June 2016 (House of Commons Vol. 611, Column 1615), in which he said that while we cannot rule out forever withdrawal from the Convention, it is not the Government’s policy to withdraw.

Iran: Foreign Relations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the current state of bilateral relations with Iran a year after the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Vienna on 14 July 2015.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was agreed in July 2015 which, along with the subsequent lifting of international sanctions, represents a new era in Iran’s relationship with the wider world. Since my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) reopened our Embassy in August 2015, significant progress has been made in developing the bilateral relationship between the UK and Iran. We welcomed Foreign Minister Zarif to London on 4 February 2016, in what was the first bilateral visit of an Iranian Foreign Minister since 2003. We hope to be able to upgrade to the level of Ambassadors in the near future.

Department for International Development

South Sudan: Hospitals

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Juba Teaching Hospital in South Sudan has adequate supplies of electricity; what assessment they have made of the effect of power cuts and power rationing on that hospital’s ability to provide treatment; whether they have raised the issue of the lack of electricity at the Juba Teaching Hospital with the government of South Sudan; and what steps they will take to ensure that that government takes action.

Baroness Verma: The Government of South Sudan has provided one year’s supply of fuel to the Juba Teaching Hospital. The fuel was delivered and electricity was restored to the hospital at the end of May 2016. The Government has also recently signed a contract with a private company to undertake general renovation of the hospital.The South Sudan Government’s annual budget allocations for health and education are amongst the lowest in the region averaging 6% for education and 4% for health, compared to an average of 17% and 15% respectively in other East African countries. The UK has consistently lobbied for increased budget allocations to these sectors. The UK is pressing the Government of South Sudan to increase funding for health in the 2016-17 annual budget which will be set in July, particularly for medicines, hospital infrastructure, recurrent running costs including fuel, and personnel for hospitals and clinics. This issue was most recently raised in a meeting with the Minister of Health, Riek Gai Kok on 21 June 2016.

South Sudan: Hospitals

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to increase the amount of funding they give to develop hospital infrastructure in South Sudan.

Baroness Verma: The UK is the lead for a multi-donor Health Pooled Fund in South Sudan which has provided over £18 million between 2013 and 2016 to support hospital infrastructure in eight county level hospitals, four state level hospitals and seven faith-based hospitals. A further £6million has been allocated for 2016 to 2018.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Radicalism

The Lord Bishop of Rochester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many prisoners have been identified as having been radicalised whilst in custody in England and Wales since the beginning of 2014.

Lord Faulks: Radicalisation is a process rather than an event and therefore it is not possible to identify with any certainty which prisoners have been radicalised specifically during their time in prison.Extremism is one of the biggest threats facing this country. That is why the Justice Secretary commissioned a review of Islamist extremism in prisons.As we have made clear, the report has been received and a summary document will be published in due course.

Parole

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the criteria approved by Ministers for use by the Parole Board when considering whether to authorise the release of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences.

Lord Faulks: Ministers do not set criteria for use by the independent Parole Board when considering the release of indeterminate sentence prisoners. They must serve the minimum term, or tariff, set by the sentencing court after which they may be considered for release by the Parole Board. The Board is required to apply the statutory test for release contained in section 28 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997. The Board must assess the level of risk to the public – using reports and assessments from prison, probation and other professionals involved in the management of the offender – and will only direct release if they conclude that the prisoner could safely be managed on licence in the community.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Infrastructure: Planning Permission

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in which applications under section 100 of the Planning Act 2008 an Examining Authority has appointed a person to act as assessor.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There has been only one application for development consent where an assessor has been appointed by under section 100 of the Planning Act 2008. This was for the Preesall Saltfield Underground Gas Storage project.

Housing Estates: Regeneration

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 December 2015 (HL4001), how much funding has been awarded to each of the successful applications to regenerate local authority housing estates.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Four schemes were shortlisted to receive loan funding. One scheme withdrew and became self financing. We are in contract with Genesis Housing Association providing £56 million recoverable loan for the redevelopment of the Grahame Park Estate. We expect to be in contract with Swan New Homes, in relation to the Blackwall Reach redevelopment in Tower Hamlets shortly. The due diligence process with Notting Hill Homes is underway with regard to the Aylesbury Estate redevelopment.

Circle Housing

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on which occasions (1) ministers, and (2) officials, have met members of (a) the Management Board, and (b) the Senior Management Team, of Circle Housing Group since May 2010.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Ministers and officials of the Department for Communities and Local Government have regular meetings with senior figures in the housing sector; Circle Housing Group included, and have done so since May 2010 in order to collaborate effectively with the sector.

Circle Housing

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on which occasions the Chair of the Regulatory Committee of the Homes and Communities Agency and his staff have met members of (1) the Management Board, and (2) the Senior Management Team, of Circle Housing Group since May 2010.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The social housing regulator is an independent regulator and as such it is not appropriate for DCLG to comment on their operational work. However, we understand that they have met with Circle Housing Group as part of their ongoing regulatory engagement with this provider.

Department of Health

Heart Diseases: Nurses

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the cardiac nursing workforce is comprised of heart failure specialist nurses.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Health and Social Care Information Centre provides information on the number of nursing staff employed in the National Health Service in England, but it does not separately identify the cardiac nursing workforce or heart failure specialist nurses. It is for local NHS organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses.

Heart Diseases: Nurses

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to develop a workforce register of heart failure specialist nurses in England.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Government does not plan to develop a workforce register of heart failure specialist nurses in England. It is for local National Health Service organisations with their knowledge of the healthcare needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses.